- 1 - Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association � P.O. Box 2568 � Palatine, IL 60078-2568 � www.pgepoa.org

Since this is my first Message as

your new President, I thought

that it is only appropriate for me

to introduce you to the

members of the Board of

Directors of the Plum Grove

Estates Property Owners

Association (PGEPOA) for 2013.

Gary Dindia replaces Randy

Mitchell as our Past President.

The knowledge that Gary has

attained while serving as a

board member and as President

will be a great benefit to all of

the other board members.

Dave Freeman returns as Vice

President. As all Vice

Presidents do, he fills in when

necessary for the President.

Dave is also the head of

Architectural Control. He is the

board member that you should

contact when you need board

approval for your home repair

or other project. He is always

helpful and he enjoys working

with our residents towards

approving their various

projects.

Debbie Denten has returned as

our Secretary. She is

responsible for taking our

minutes at board meetings and

for board correspondence. As

you may know if you attended

board meetings last year, there

were some heated issues and

the meetings were not always

calm. This made the Secretary’s

job somewhat difficult. Yet

Debbie did an excellent job in

preparing accurate minutes and

we are happy to have her back

as Secretary. Hopefully, this

will be a calmer year.

Mary Crook has become our

new Treasurer. This is also a

difficult job. She is not only

required to maintain the

financial accounts of the

Association and to keep custody

of the Association funds, but she

also has the responsibility of

collecting and receiving all

monies that are due. So, if you

haven’t paid your 2013 dues yet,

you will most likely get the

opportunity to personally meet

her.

George Reichl returns this year

and supervises two areas- the

Auditing and Nominating

Committees. As head of

Auditing he is responsible for

examining the financial records,

books and accounts of the

Association. As head of the

Nominating Committee he is

responsible for leading the

committee that secures the slate

of officers and directors that run

in each year’s election which is

held at the October board

meeting.

Carl Siemianowski returns this

year as head of Area Control. He

stepped in last year and took

over for Glen Prezembel who

resigned because of his regular

employment work load. Carl

supervises entrance gate, light

maintenance and maintenance

of peripheral fencing and street

and other signs.

Steve Sperling returns as head

of Civic Affairs. Although he

works with legal issues

including publication and

distribution of the covenants, he

mainly functions as the Board’s

Newsletter Contents Directors Reports…………………….3 Holiday Party Photos………………4-5 May PGE POA Meeting……………6-7 PGE Calendar………………………..8

Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association

Neighborhood NewsNeighborhood NewsNeighborhood NewsNeighborhood News Working Together for a GREAT Neighborhood Spring 2013Spring 2013Spring 2013Spring 2013

President’s Message

Stop the Presses!

Many residents have recently

received a letter from Groot.

PGE President Guy Karm said,

“Groot is sending out these

letters to sign up residents for a 3

year term. This has never

happened before and raises the

issue that maybe we have a

choice of garbage services.”

President Karm continued by

saying that he hopes that

residents will not sign up with

Groot until the PGE Board has

had time to assess the situation

and report back to the

community.

- 2 - Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association � P.O. Box 2568 � Palatine, IL 60078-2568 � www.pgepoa.org

liaison with all other civic and government

agencies.

Lynn Meinzer returns this year and again

supervises two areas–Landscaping and Social. I

think that we can all agree that the entrances

have never looked better and she tells me that

the new plantings at the Westwood entrance will

be unbelievable this spring. She also supervises

the Christmas decorations at the entrance ways.

They look better and better each holiday season.

As head of the Social committee Lynn is in

charge of the Holiday Party at Christmas time

and (my

favorite) the Kick Off to Summer Party which

will be held at the park pool on June 19, 2013.

Personally, I think this is the best social event of

the year and a great way to start the summer.

Keep up the great job Lynn.

Maria Pappas is back this year and is now the

head of the Membership Committee. Aside from

working on our membership directory and

informational mailings to residents, Maria

arranges to call on new residents to welcome

them to Plum Grove Estates. If you have ever

met Maria, you know that she is the perfect

person to be our ambassador with new residents.

Martin Kammerman is the new head of the

Newsletter/Communication Committee. He

replaces Andrea Brennan who also resigned due

to time limitations from her regular employment.

Martin oversees the Newsletter and our Website

which is a growing and ever demanding task.

In ending, I would like to take this opportunity

to thank Randy Mitchell, Glen Prezembel and

Andrea Brennan for their years of hard work and

personal sacrifice in acting as officers and/or

board members of the Plum Grove Estates

Property Owners Association. I have been

fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to

know them and to work with them.

As your President, I am also fortunate to have

the opportunity to work with the outstanding

officers and board members that make up the

2013 Board of Directors. I can assure you that

you, as residents of Plum Grove Estates, are also

fortunate to have them as Directors.

Well enough of this—Here’s to springtime, it

can’t come soon enough for me, and I hope to see

everyone at the Kick Off to Summer Party on

June 19, 2013.

Guy Karm,

President, PGEPOA

2013 PGEPOA Officers/Directors

President Guy Karm

Vice President

and Architectural Control Dave Freeman

Secretary Debbie Denten

Treasurer Mary Crook

Area Control Carl Siemianowski

Civic Affairs Steve Sperling

Membership Maria Pappas

Communications Martin Kammerman

Social and Landscaping Lynn Meinzer

Audit George Reichl

Past President Gary Dindia

Advertising Full page ....................once/$150 yearly/$380 Half page ...................once/$100 yearly/$255 Quarter page..............once/$50 yearly/$125 Eighth page................once/$25 yearly/$60 Thank you to all of our advertisers! Your ad defrays the cost of producing and mailing the newsletter.

- 3 - Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association � P.O. Box 2568 � Palatine, IL 60078-2568 � www.pgepoa.org

Social Report – Lynn Meinzer The next PGE General Meeting is on Wednesday, May 15th. Come at 7 p.m. for some socializing and pizza and / or dessert. The Social Committee is starting to plan the Kick-Off to Summer Party. That will be on Wednesday, June 19th here at Plum Grove Park. Set up and Clean up help is always appreciated. Civic Affairs Report – Steve Sperling Palatine Township Transportation Services has three vehicles offering transportation: two 15-passenger mini buses and one 9-passenger van. All three vehicles are lift equipped to transport wheelchairs. Two mini-buses and the van provide curb-to-curb service anywhere within the Palatine Township boundaries. In addition, all of our vehicles go to Arlington Heights on Tuesdays for medical appointments only. For seniors 60 and over and/or the permanently handicapped, the cost is $2.00 for a one-way trip. All Riders Must be pre-registered. You can register at Palatine Township Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 12 noon. Documentation of age or disability (social security award letter), Driver's License or State I.D., proof of residency, and a name and phone number of a contact in case of emergency. Reservations should be made three to fourteen working days in advance, during working hours (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.) Please let us know if you need the lift. Service is available 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (closed holidays and weekends). Treasurer’s Report – Mary Crook

Dear neighbor, I look forward to serving as treasurer for the upcoming year. My husband and I have lived in PGE for 12 years and feel very lucky to have found a unique and tranquil setting to call our home. The January 2013 Treasurer’s Report was recently submitted at the general meeting held on February 19th. The report included the budget for 2013 which is funded primarily through membership dues. Invoices were mailed out late this year so the due date was extended to February 15th. If you have any questions regarding your dues please contact me at 847-303-5259 or treasurer@pgepoa.org.

Landscape Report – Lynn Meinzer I hope everybody enjoyed the Holidays this past season. I think the PGE holiday lights looked especially nice and the Roof to Deck Decorations Co. worked for several evening putting them up. They maintained the lights when there was a problem, took them down neatly and have stored them for next year. They will be up for the Holiday Party 2013 and off by early to mid January. The ground is frozen and plants are dormant for a while yet. However, Spring arrives on march 20th. By then we’ll be seeing some green and at least buds of the flowers – always worth the wait! During winter, I check the entrances frequently to remove debris like plastic bags, pop cans and things that often spoil the look of PGE’s planted common areas. The PGE Board requires a review of the landscape company every three years. The services rendered and accompanying charges are considered during this review and voted on by the Board of Directors. Requests for proposals have been sent out to providers that work in this area. The services required have increased and it’s time to review. Membership Report – Maria Pappas Congratulations to the following new homeowners and we welcome you to Plum Grove Estates. Please join us in June for our 'Kick off to Summer Party', in December for our 'Holiday Party', and our meetings. Invitations to all of our events are sent by mail. Contact Maria Pappas (2291 Longacres) at 847-303-3536 with any questions or concerns that you may have. We look forward to meeting all of you. - 2272 N. Circle Jin Hao & Tianya Zhao - 386 Meadow Steve & Katie Richenberger - 321 S. Circle Michael Maselbas - 365 S. Elmwood Patrick & Lauren Dwyer - 2126 Brookdale Florentina Sternat

- 4 - Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association � P.O. Box 2568 � Palatine, IL 60078-2568 � www.pgepoa.org

2012 Holiday Party On December 4th the Plum Grove Park was alive with Plum Grove Estates residents and their children for the annual Holiday Party. During the three hour party attendees enjoyed Holiday Cheer with neighbors, Holiday Music, provided by Joe Hampton, Guitarist; dinner ordered from Moretti’s; desserts provided by those attending; a visit from Santa for the young children; and an opportunity to make a contribution to the Palatine Township Food Pantry and Needy Family Fund. The main details of the event were taken care of by Lynn Meinzer, Maria Pappas, Debbie Denten and much appreciated cleanup help from many volunteers. It was a very nice way to start off the Holiday Season.

- 5 - Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association � P.O. Box 2568 � Palatine, IL 60078-2568 � www.pgepoa.org

- 6 - Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association � P.O. Box 2568 � Palatine, IL 60078-2568 � www.pgepoa.org

PGE POA General Meeting Minutes (pending approval) Tuesday February 19, 2013 Call to Order The General Meeting of the Plum Grove Homeowners Association was called to order by President Guy Karm at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 19 2013, at Plum Grove Park.

Board Attendees Guy Karm, Gary Dindia, Dave Freeman, Mary Crook, Debbie Denten, Maria Pappas, Steve Sperling, George Reichl, Lynn Meinzer, Carl Siemianowksi, Martin Kammerman.

Remarks from President Guy Karm A reminder to homeowners that Commonwealth Edison will be trimming trees around power lines in our neighborhood. A policies and guidelines update will be discussed at the next board meeting. A reminder to vote at the upcoming primary election.

Resident Attendees Sue Dindia, Leslie Paulsen, Harold Paulsen, Patti Riddle, Martha Atherton, Russ Haan, Bill Murray, Joanne Olsen, Rich Olsen, Bill Huley, Alice Forbes, Marty Pilut, Randy Mitchell, Art Meinzer, Richard Beals, Wally Wilson, Rich Coha, Tim Corrigan, Ron England, Carole England, Andrea Brennan, Jeff June, Glen Prezembel, Jan Engelen, Jeff Berg.

Guests Patrick Carey, Ass't Bureau Chief, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, came to our meeting to discuss the unincorporated areas initiative in Cook County. He relayed the following information to the residents in attendance on behalf of Cook County Board President Preckwinkle. Mr. Carey stated that the County does not have any current plans to try to force annexation upon homeowners or villages, however, the County is looking for a better way to provide services to the unincorporated areas. The County’s core functions are healthcare and criminal justice, but they are also currently providing assistance to the Township, road funding, police protection, building and zoning. The County serves approximately 500 distinct parcels with 100,000 unincorporated residents at an annual cost of

$50,000,000. If the unincorporated areas were annexed, this cost to the County would be eliminated as these services would then be provided through the annexing municipalities. In November of 2011 a task force was formed to look into the budgetary issue of supplying these current services to the unincorporated areas. The recommendation from that task force was the eventual elimination of unincorporated areas in Cook County, with neighboring municipalities picking up the cost for services as well as the tax revenue from the unincorporated areas. This is a long term goal, and discussions are underway with areas that are interested. The County has a matching fund of $5,000,000 for infrastructure improvements that is available to unincorporated residents to help defer the cost of annexation. There will be an update this summer but no one knows if this will be a one time or recurring fund. The State has the power to mandate annexation but the County does not want to take that course of action. The County has not had any conversations

BAIRD&WARNER

Sandy Heinlein Office: 847.934.5069 • Cell: 847.822.8051

sandy.heinlein@bairdwarner.com 819 N. Quentin Road • Palatine, IL 60067

www.bairdwarner.com

- 7 - Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association � P.O. Box 2568 � Palatine, IL 60078-2568 � www.pgepoa.org

with the State, Governor’s office or legislature regarding forced annexation of unincorporated areas. Cook County Board President Preckwinkle is not seeking to change the State law, but the County will need the State’s financial help and cooperation to reach their end goal of eliminating unincorporated areas. The decision of annexation will be driven by the community of homeowners and Township boundaries are not relevant to this process.

Architectural Control Dave Freeman reported that the board has approved a garage addition for the home at 380 Meadow Lane. He has been working on an updated version of the neighborhood guidelines and will be presenting them at the next Board Meeting in March. Area Control Carol Siemianowski reported all fence repairs along Algonquin Road have been completed. Civic Affairs Steve Sperling reported that the homes from 308 from 334 South Circle Drive have standing water in the road. He is following up with the Schaumburg Township Road District. Landscaping Lynn Meinzer reported spring is just around the corner. Look for the new plantings at the Westwood entrance. All Christmas decorations are down and she is revitalizing the wreaths. There was a discussion with homeowners that live on the pond about the erosion along Brookdale Lane. Further discussion will be held at the next board meeting in March and Lynn will report back at the General Meeting held in May, 2013. Membership Maria Pappas reported the following January home sales: 2272 N Circle sold for $405,000 386 Meadow Lane sold for $400,000 321 S Circle sold for $315,000 365 S Elmwood sold for $445,000 2126 Brookdale $450,000 Active Listings: 390 Meadow Lane at $334,900

258 S Brookdale at $349,900 2290 N Circle at $453,500 Newsletter/Communication Martin Kammerman reported the next newsletter will be published in the next few weeks. If there are interested advertisers, please contact him. Social Lynn Meinzer reported that the next General Meeting will be Wednesday, May 15, 2013. The Kick Off to Summer Party will be held on June 19, 2013. New Business Russ Haan and Bill Huley urged everyone to get out and vote at the primary. Bill Huley reported that the township is seeking authority to get bulk rates for electric aggregation through a referendum to be voted on in April.

Debbie Denten Secretary

secretary@pgepoa.org

- 8 - Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association � P.O. Box 2568 � Palatine, IL 60078-2568 � www.pgepoa.org

C

ale

nd

ar

2/2

8

De

ad

line t

o s

ub

mit in

form

atio

n f

or

the

Sp

rin

g

2

01

3 P

GE

PO

A n

ew

sle

tte

r (s

en

d in

form

atio

n

to

we

ba

dm

in@

pg

ep

oa

.org

)

3/1

1

Fir

e D

istr

ict

Mtg

, N

oo

n,

at

Pa

latin

e R

ura

l F

ire

S

tatio

n,

35 E

. E

la R

d.,

In

ve

rne

ss

3/1

2

Plu

m G

rove S

an

ita

ry D

istr

ict

Mtg

, 7 P

M a

t

Be

the

l L

uth

era

n C

hu

rch

3/1

9

PG

E P

OA

Bo

ard

Me

etin

g

4/1

0

Fir

e D

istr

ict

Mtg

, N

oo

n,

at

Pa

latin

e R

ura

l F

ire

S

tatio

n,

35 E

. E

la R

d.,

In

ve

rne

ss

4/1

1

Plu

m G

rove S

an

ita

ry D

istr

ict

Mtg

, 7 P

M a

t

Be

the

l L

uth

era

n C

hu

rch

4/1

8

PG

E P

OA

Bo

ard

Me

etin

g

3/1

9

PG

E P

OA

Bo

ard

Me

etin

g

5/8

F

ire

Dis

tric

t M

tg,

No

on

, a

t P

ala

tin

e R

ura

l F

ire

S

tatio

n,

35 E

. E

la R

d.,

In

ve

rne

ss

5/9

P

lum

Gro

ve S

an

ita

ry D

istr

ict

Mtg

, 7 P

M a

t

Be

the

l L

uth

era

n C

hu

rch

5/1

5

PG

E P

OA

Ge

ne

ral M

ee

tin

g,

7:3

0 p

.m.,

Plu

m

Gro

ve P

ark

(P

izza a

t 7:0

0 p

.m.)